Andy: When I originally wrote the Codex: Orks army list I tried to angle it so players could make up clan-themed warbands. The right paint schemes and a few choice units (I reasoned) would create a Goff warband or a Bad Moons warband by cunningly utilising the codex list. Ever since writing the codex I've intended to do a follow-up article about specific variant lists for Orks clanz and I've read a number of interesting ones on the Net (kudos to Cannibal Bob for his unstinting efforts). What follows is a simple set of roolz for theming different clanz based on the Codex: Orks list.

'OW IT WERKS

Each clan has a list of what's different about their army, broken down as follows:

CORE MOBS

The core mobs are the kind of Orks that most typify the clan. Mobs of this type may be chosen as Troops, regardless of which Force Organisation slot they would normally occupy. In addition, they may also be taken from the slot they normally occupy. For example, a Goff clan army may take Skarboyz as both Troops and Elites, meaning the army could take up to nine of these mobs in a Cleanse mission. They also have any restrictions on number removed (ie, 0-1, 0-2). A clan army must fulfil its compulsory Troops choices with core mobs.

COMMON UNITS

These are units that are common and/or popular with the clan and so have no limit on the number that can be chosen (subject to the normal Force Organisation chart limits, of course). They are still taken from the Force Organisation slot as normal.

RARE MOBS

These units are less likely to be seen in a clan warband and so become 0-1 choices. If the unit is already 0-1 then the clan may not use it at all.

Clan Warboss upgrades: A Warboss exemplifies the traits of his clan and may have compulsory wargear choices or extra options to reflect this.

Clan Boss upgrades: Many clanz have a preponderance of 'Oddboyz' – Mekaniaks or Bad Doks for example. Where appropriate they can include these as leaders for their Boyz mobz in place of Nobz. Other clanz may be distinguished more by the wargear the Nobz carry, and so this category may also contain details of wargear the character must take, or gets a points break on.

THE BLOOD AXES

The Blood Axes are not trusted by other clanz who consider them to be treacherous gits who will march off to war alongside other Orks only to run off when things get tough. Blood Axes will even trade and deal with humans, which is considered a sure sign of their lack of proper Orky spirit. In fact most of this reputation is quite unjustified and evolved because it was the Blood Axes who first encountered the armies of the Imperium, and who have had the most contact with Imperial culture. This has led to them picking up a number of Imperial battle practices which are not used by the other clanz, most notably the wearing of camouflaged wargear and the use of captured or traded Imperial vehicles driven by Blood Axe crews. Their Warlords tend to have a better understanding of grand strategy, and will even retreat if they are losing, rather than fighting to the bitter end like other clanz. This has earned the Blood Axes the reputation of being cowardly gits with the other clanz, who fail to notice that the Blood Axes normally come back later, reinforced with more Boyz and better prepared than they were before.

USING A BLOOD AXE ARMY IN WARHAMMER 40,000

Core mobs: Kommandos.

Common units: Looted Vehicle (may not take more than one of each type of vehicle in the army if over 51 points).

Rare units: Stormboyz; Trukk Boyz; Battlewagonz.

Clan Warboss upgrades: If the Warboss and his retinue numbers 12 or less models (including squigs, Grots etc) they may take a looted Imperial Chimera as a transport, instead of a wartrukk. This vehicle is subject to the Looted Vehicles rules in the army list entry.

Clan Boss upgrades: Any Troops choice other than Gretchin mobz can choose to purchase a Mad Dok/Mekboy for +10 pts, instead of upgrading a model to a Nob. The Mad Dok must take three Grot Orderlies, and the Mekboy must take three Grot Oilers. Each may take any other wargear they would normally be allowed to take from the armoury.

Download the Ork Clan Rules in PDF format [Download PDF - 232 Kb].

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Related Links:
Goffs Army List | Bad Moon Army List | Evil Sun Army List
Death Skull Army List | Snakebites Army List